No needle-based treatment register for Wales

The Public Health Bill, released by the Welsh government on June 9, does not include plans for a register for needle-based treatments, despite proposals in an April 2014 Public Health White Paper.

As Professional Beauty reported in May last year, a National Special Procedures Register was proposed, whereby practitioners and businesses would need to meet and maintain specified standards of hygiene and safety, to carry out standardised pre and post treatment consultations, and to keep client records.

At the time, proposals outlined that the register would initially cover five core areas: cosmetic piercing; tattooing; semi-permanent make-up; acupuncture and electrolysis. Practitioners and businesses would be charged a fee to register. This came after the Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions was completed in April 2013. In it, Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director for England, recommended creating a register of every practitioner who performs surgical or non-surgical cosmetic intervention.

However, the Welsh bill will seek to create a compulsory national licensing system for acupuncture, electrolysis, tattooing and body piercing, and will ban the intimate piercing of under 16s. “This will better protect the public from the harms of poor practice, and reinforce the high standards already present across much of the industry,” said Mark Drakeford, minister for health and social services in a statement published online.

Welsh local authorities are currently responsible for the regulation of businesses carrying out semi-permanent skin colouring and electrolysis, ensuring these businesses observe byelaws relating to the cleanliness of premises, operators and equipment.

In a statement, the Welsh government said: "We are working with the UK government to take forward a number of the recommendations in the Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions, including in relation to dermal fillers and Botox.”